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electric showers and bathroom tiling |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 5,654
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electric showers and bathroom tiling
If I want an electric shower is it just a case of buying one then getting someone to fit it? Plumber or handyman?
What is a reasonable price to tile around a standard size bath? |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 10,733
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Do you have a shower currently in the bathroom? if not then it's going to require paperwork for new circuits and possibly a new fuse board.
Remember that at least before doing any tiling you will need to run a power cable and a water supply to the unit and if you want to keep things nice then its liable to be a bit brutal. You should also see the price of 6/10mm cable and along with the required pull cord add that to the cost. Its amazing how many people will when told its going to cost 4-500 quid for a shower will suddenly just get one of those adapters to the taps and just use that. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 11,679
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Quote:
You should also see the price of 6/10mm cable and along with the required pull cord add that to the cost.
Don't do what I did and decide to put up coving to disguise the uneven wall-to-ceiling line – then arrive at the bloody pull-cord next to the airing cupboard and realise that you're stuck with having a stupid looking abbreviation next to it.
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 5,654
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Quote:
Do you have a shower currently in the bathroom? if not then it's going to require paperwork for new circuits and possibly a new fuse board.
Remember that at least before doing any tiling you will need to run a power cable and a water supply to the unit and if you want to keep things nice then its liable to be a bit brutal. You should also see the price of 6/10mm cable and along with the required pull cord add that to the cost. Its amazing how many people will when told its going to cost 4-500 quid for a shower will suddenly just get one of those adapters to the taps and just use that.
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#5 |
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 2,403
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Quote:
thats obscene! I already have tap adaptors, but the pressure isn't fantastic and it goes hot / cold hot / cold hot / cold every 2 minutes. A good working shower is a human right for a working man! but at £5000 I'd need to save for years
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#6 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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Quote:
thats obscene! I already have tap adaptors, but the pressure isn't fantastic and it goes hot / cold hot / cold hot / cold every 2 minutes. A good working shower is a human right for a working man! but at £5000 I'd need to save for years
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#7 |
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 5,654
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Just a condenser boiler, with a hose attached to the bathroom taps, and the other end attached to a wall mounted shower head (I can lift it off tho to clean my "bits")
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#8 |
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Wantage, Oxfordshire
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I work for a plumber and the average cost would be £400 to £500 as Maxatoria suggested. I have an electric shower which has good pressure, doesn't fluctuate with temperature and is easy to adjust. One thing, already mentioned, an electric shower needs to run off a separate power supply with an individual fuse.
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,830
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Make sure you know the difference between Electric Showers and Power Showers. Both can look the same.
Electric Showers can be up to 9kW and definitely require their own Fusebox/Consumer Circuit. Power Showers only need an internal (or under bath or airing cupboard) pump from the Hot and Cold taps. Only 100W or 200W. Lots of people have them wired as a fused spur from a convenient ring-main I'm not sure if this meets he Regs or not. Lot's of debate on it. Certainly the ring-main would need to be on RCD. I've actually tapped off my Immersion Heater circuit (unused) for the upstairs Power Shower. It's perfectly safe with the fused-spur and RCD at the Consumer Unit.. Best to get quotes from an Electrician/Plumber or Plumber/Electrician who will do these installs week in and week out. |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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Quote:
I've actually tapped off my Immersion Heater circuit (unused) for the upstairs Power Shower. It's perfectly safe with the fused-spur and RCD at the Consumer Unit.. |
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#11 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,830
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Change the MCB down to 6A at the Consumer Unit. Fully disconnect the Immersion Element at the Hot Tank Switch. Effectively you are just using a thicker than normal cable as an additional lighting circuit.
Legal but not Good Practice of course. It may confuse future owners and visiting Electricians. Consumer Units and Bathrooms are also designated Special Locations and you must be a Competent Person to mess with them. Some Like-for-Like is allowed. Bathrooms also have Zones. Which must be obeyed and the correct IP Rating of lights installed (and certainly no Sockets) https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=el...utf-8&oe=utf-8 |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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Quote:
Change the MCB down to 6A at the Consumer Unit. Fully disconnect the Immersion Element at the Hot Tank Switch. Effectively you are just using a thicker than normal cable as an additional lighting circuit.
Legal but not Good Practice of course. It may confuse future owners and visiting Electricians. Consumer Units and Bathrooms are also designated Special Locations and you must be a Competent Person to mess with them. Some Like-for-Like is allowed. Bathrooms also have Zones. Which must be obeyed and the correct IP Rating of lights installed (and certainly no Sockets) https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=el...utf-8&oe=utf-8
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#13 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 15,302
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Quote:
I have a redundant junction box where the hot water tank used to be in a cupboard in the bathroom. I'll just have to extend that up into the loft. The damaged cable is in a place where it's impossible to repair. I have an old CU with wired fuses and I'd rather not mess with it, there isn't even an isolation switch near the meter
![]() I am not going to say much on how to undertake this work simply because of the age of your wiring. But suffice to say switch off your consumer unit until you have identified the fuse that feeds the old cylinder. Once done and if supplying over head lighting only, my advise is come off the junction box with a fused neon spur protected by a 3 amp fuse and new cable to your ceiling roses. This is not an ideal solution. And retro fit the CU with a 6amp MCB. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Northants
Posts: 973
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Quote:
Are you allowed to use an old immersion circuit for the upstairs lighting ? Rats chewed through the cable ! I'd put a 5amp fuse on it I guess
http://www.screwfix.com/p/british-ge...FS-77QodgbgLXQ |
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#15 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,830
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Old style Trip plug in replacements are still available (for wired fuses).
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ol...w=1280&bih=586 But often the final (secondary) cover won't fit back properly. I'm not sure if it's mainly cosmetic anyway. Most Electricians will advise to just bite the bullet and upgrade to a new Consumer Unit (with Spare slots too) As long as the rest of the house wiring is OK (and not dangerous), it's no more than half a days work +£100 for the CU. Even if house wiring is old, 30 or 40 yr old White PVC Twin and Earth can be fine. What the current Market Rates around the UK are for replacement CU, I have no idea. Don't do it yourself. |
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#16 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 15,302
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Quote:
Old style Trip plug in replacements are still available (for wired fuses).
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ol...w=1280&bih=586 But often the final (secondary) cover won't fit back properly. Most Electricians will advise to just bite the bullet and upgrade to a new Consumer Unit (with Spare slots too) As long as the rest of the house wiring is OK, it's no more than half a days work +£100 for the CU. What the current Market Rates around the UK are for that, I have no idea. Don't do it yourself. Any sparki worth their salt would not connect wiring of a certain age to a new CU, certainly not with out other checks. And retrofitting protective devices to an old CU, the cover never fits, you have to cut in to it. ![]() More of a worry, the OP has no idea the condition of the cylinder cable feed, if rat's have chewed at cable to a particular circuit, they have probably had a go at others. |
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#17 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,830
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No, that's why you test circuits for integrity and leakage.
Ideal would be a complete rewire, especially since there are rodents. But in real world, some people can't afford the expense or upheaval. |
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#18 |
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Northants
Posts: 973
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The secondary cover is actually a flashguard ,the Wylex one is premarked to cut for removal
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#19 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,830
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Flashguard for Wired Fuses, but does it become redundant when fitted with plug-in MCBs?
All I know is these CU jobs are done and are quite common. |
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#20 |
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Join Date: Oct 2005
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Quote:
The secondary cover is actually a flashguard ,the Wylex one is premarked to cut for removal
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#21 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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Many thanks for replies. I don't think my wiring is 'old' old. When I was a kid our house had rubber insulated cables in a metal tube and we actually witnessed it catch fire once. My Dad was once an electrician by trade but I don't think he's keen to offer advice, probably afraid of getting roped in!
There is no practical way to physically check all the wires, I really can't afford to get some one in, are there any basic safety checks I can do with a multimeter ? The damage I've found is just below where the upstairs light cable comes out of the cavity into the loft. It took ages to find. The fuse would only blow after about ten minutes so I linked it out using a MCB I got from eBay. I then I checked all cables in loft since they was easiest to do. I even disconnected each upstairs light in turn until there was just the supply cable left ! The internal conductors were completely exposed and all the insulation had burned through, so god knows how a rat survived chewing on it ! It must have been heating up and shorting out. Took my life in my hands and dismantled CU live to remove offending wire since it was in same fuse as downstairs. I just /very/ carefully removed the meter live cable and taped it off ( most of the CU is isolated once you turn it off but still wore rubber gloves/ glasses etc.) I think I will go with the suggestion of putting a (RCD) fused spur in the cupboard, I installed one of these else where when I put a heater in and they are pretty cheap. I've not had rats for almost a year now. Possibly any damage if they do come back might be most likely to cables in the loft so perhaps that's some reassurance . I'm using clip on lamps upstairs so getting buy, it's too cold to go in the loft at the moment any way ! God knows what an electrician would say then, he'd probably want to replace the CU and test / visually inspect every wire in the house ? |
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 15,302
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Quote:
The damage I've found is just below where the upstairs light cable comes out of the cavity into the loft. It took ages to find. The fuse would only blow after about ten minutes so I linked it out using a MCB I got from eBay. I then I checked all cables in loft since they was easiest to do. I even disconnected each upstairs light in turn until there was just the supply cable left
If you have found the damage by getting to it, why can't it be repaired? What is the damage and what does linking out mean? Quote:
Took my life in my hands and dismantled CU live to remove offending wire since it was in same fuse as downstairs. I just /very/ carefully removed the meter live cable and taped it off ( most of the CU is isolated once you turn it off but still wore rubber gloves/ glasses etc.)
Why didn't you turn CU off at switch?Quote:
I think I will go with the suggestion of putting a (RCD) fused spur in the cupboard,
I understand the attraction of an RCD but if there is further damage to the circuit it is protecting, it will simply keep switching.Don't use metal clad. Quote:
God knows what an electrician would say then, he'd probably want to replace the CU and test / visually inspect every wire in the house ?
He/she would say you need a rewire.
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 10,733
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Before pratting any more get a switchfuse fitted between the meter and the fusebox (most electricity companies will do it for free) which will make life easier as pulling the service fuse can be rather a dangerous thing.
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#24 |
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Devon
Posts: 12,830
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Get your bloody Dad in if he used to be an Electrician!
He can advise, if not to do the work.Sort the rats out too. Leave Poison in the Loft and check daily if any has been eaten. If they are coming in from nearby area, contact the Council. |
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#25 |
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 351
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Quote:
Hi,
If you have found the damage by getting to it, why can't it be repaired? What is the damage and what does linking out mean? Why didn't you turn CU off at switch? I understand the attraction of an RCD but if there is further damage to the circuit it is protecting, it will simply keep switching. Don't use metal clad. He/she would say you need a rewire. There is no switch ! only the one on the CU itself. How much does a re-wire cost ? Would that be because of the rodent problem or age of system, it's only 1979 house I think, |
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Don't do what I did and decide to put up coving to disguise the uneven wall-to-ceiling line – then arrive at the bloody pull-cord next to the airing cupboard and realise that you're stuck with having a stupid looking abbreviation next to it.
